Movie Review Report

OK, for some reason I have wanted to see this movie since I first saw the previews and I just never got around to it. Then I started hearing some horrible reviews for it and I was a little surprised. Well, I finally got around to watching it but I went into it not expecting much because of the bad reviews. It wasn’t as bad as people said it was but it also wasn’t great.

Plot Summary from Netflix:

Jack Gramm (Al Pacino), college professor and occasional forensic shrink for the FBI, in a race against time. When Gramm receives a mysterious phone call telling him he has exactly 88 minutes left to live, can he track down his would-be killer before the clock runs out?

I have mixed thoughts about this movie. In some ways it was an enjoyable thriller (although nothing special). But other things really bothered me about it. I’ll start with the good. First of all, I was pleasantly surprised to see Neal McDonough in it (who plays David McNorris in my favorite TV show ever: Boomtown) and I thought he did a great job. He’s good at being creepy.
But, the other actors in it were strangely cast, in my opinion. Al Pacino did a good job I guess but there was nothing special about it at all. And Leelee Sobieski was just bad. I always had mixed thoughts about whether I liked her or not, well, now I realized I don’t like her; especially in this movie. She was just really irritating to me.

The movie also seemed really choatic to me… and not in a good way. I can’t really explain it but the movie just did not flow properly to me. I’m glad that I finally watched it, but now I see why people gave it a bad review. Although it wasn’t as bad as they said, when you see Al Pacino, you expect more than they gave you.

My Review:

Just So-So

88 Minutes, Al Pacino, Neal McDonough, Leelee Sobieski, movie review, Boomtown

I’m not gonna lie to you. Lately I’ve been in the midst of a pretty big obsession with the Wahlbergs. It started out with just Mark but has since grown to include Donnie (thanks to the New Kids on the Block reunion!). So, when I looked Donnie up on IMDB I came across this show, Boomtown. When I clicked on it I thought it sounded really interesting and like something I would enjoy so I rented a couple discs from Netflix. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with this show…and Donnie. (Hey, don’t judge me, I have already watched every single movie Mark has been in and I needed a new obsession)

Here’s a short synopsis from Netflix:

This acclaimed series, starring Donnie Wahlberg, Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson, puts a unique spin on the typical police drama. Each crime story is told from several points of view — the detectives’, the cops’, victim’s, the perpetrator’s, the rescue team’s, the district attorney’s and the media’s — all presented out of sequence, leaving viewers guessing about the facts of the crime until the very end.

I absolutely LOVE this show. It’s the best show I’ve seen in a very long time. Each episode starts out with a new crime and usually showcases one character, but they show the story from every one’s point of view (like it says in the description). It kinda reminds me a little bit of Law and Order or something like that but very unique. I love every single character on this show, which is a really hard thing to accomplish because I have a real issue with making sure I like the characters. Because they show the story from each person’s point of view, it allows us to see different sides of each character and really understand how they feel about what’s going on and also get a look at what’s going on in their lives at the same time. The acting is amazing too. The cast is perfect and everyone does such a great job with their characters. My personal favorites are Detective Joel Stevens (Donnie Wahlberg), Officer Tom Turcotte (Jason Gedrick), and Teresa Ortiz (Lana Parilla).

The fact that they tell the story from different points of view may scare some people off, but they do it in a way that really accentuates the story instead of hurting it by being repetitive. You will definitely never get bored during an episode of Boomtown. You have to check these DVDs out. You will not be disappointed.

I cannot believe that it was cancelled during it’s second season! With all the garbage that is on TV today, they couldn’t keep a really entertaining, unique, well-made show on the air? It absolutely disgusts me. Luckily I got my hands on the lost 6 episodes of the second season so I got to see the entire series. I adored it from start to finish and I would highly recommend it to anyone. In fact, I already made a bunch of people watch it and they all loved it too.

My Rating:

Absolutely Loved it

Boomtown, Boomtown review, Donnie Wahlberg, Jason Gedrick, Lana Parilla, Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson, Mark Wahlberg

I am continuing in my quest to watch all of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture this year to see if any of them deserved it… so far, in my opinion, none of them did. Next on the list: Juno.

Plot summary from Netflix:

Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses still has some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno’s world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy.

OK, out of all of the Best Picture nominees I’ve seen this one is the best so far but if you’ve read my other reviews you’ll know that’s not saying much. I thought this movie was OK. It had an endearing storyline, I suppose, but the way it was done made it more irritating than endearing. I thought Juno was EXTREMELY annoying and 90% of her dialouge was so forced and pretentious that I found myself rolling my eyes many times. All the stupid ‘I know music better than you’ conversations between her and Jason Bateman’s character were what really put me over the edge. Give me a break. I can’t really even put into words how irritating I found her dialouge, especially with her friends. It was like an immature angst-ridden teen trying to act cool by making people think she’s smart and witty. Painful.

The only reason I’m giving this movie any credit is because I thought they created some interesting characters and I really liked a lot of the actors in the film, especially Jason Bateman (love him!). And it was funny to see Michael and George Michael from Arrested Development in the same movie!

Overall, again, it didn’t live up to the hype, it didn’t deserve a Best Picture nomination, but it was mildly entertaining and it was kind of a cute story.

God, No Country For Old Men better be good because in my estimation, the Academy was sorely mistaken with the rest of these movies. Get it together!

My Rating:

It was OK

Review: There Will Be Blood
Review: Atonement
Review: Michael Clayton

Juno, movie review, Academy Awards, Jason Bateman, Ellen Page, Michael Cera

OK, so I am on a quest to see if any of the movies that were nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture actually deserved it. Next up: There Will Be Blood.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Set in the early 20th century, the film follows the rise to power of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis)– a charismatic and ruthless oil prospector, driven to succeed by his intense hatred of others and psychological need to see any and all competitors fail. When he learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son H.W. to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview’s gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life.

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Daniel Day-Lewis is just amazing in this movie and in general. He absolutely deserved to win his Oscar for Best Actor and I give him my sincere congratulations.
The bad news is, this movie was yet again, not worthy for a Best Picture nomination in my opinion. It was way, way, way too long which took away from it because a lot of parts really dragged and I found myself being bored and waiting for it to end multiple times. Also, I didn’t really care about any of the characters, which if you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ll know that’s a biggie for me.
Daniel Day-Lewis’ character was very intriguing and interesting because of the amazing acting not because of any character development or anything like that.
I think it’s obvious that this is a very well made movie and I think movie snobs will have a lot to praise. But for me, a lowly audience member waiting to be entertained, I was sadly let down. It is very weird and twisted and confusing. I definitely did not get it.
I suppose I would recommend it based purely on the Oscar winning performance, but only if you have 2 hours and 38 minutes to waste.
(I must add that I am not against long movies, as long as they don’t drag on and feel like they are too long)

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Other movies that didn’t deserve to be nominated for Best Picture:
Atonement
Michael Clayton

There Will Be Blood, There Will Be Blood movie review, Daniel Day-Lewis

I wanted to see this movie as soon as it came out, mostly because I loved James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland and wanted to see him in another movie. But also, because the previews looked really good. I ended up not going to see it in the theaters but rented it when it came out on DVD… I am so glad I did not waste $10 as originally planned.

Plot synopsis from All Movie Guide:

The year is 1935, and as the summer heat takes hold, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis watches her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), get undressed and go frolicking in the garden fountain on her family’s country estate. The housekeeper’s son, Robbie (James McAvoy), a childhood friend and recent Cambridge graduate, also witnesses the innocent act. When Robbie and Cecilia subsequently cross a particularly sensitive boundary and the scheming Briony accuses Robbie of an unspeakable transgression for which the boy is wholly innocent, the repercussions of her unfounded claim threaten to affect all three for decades to come.

My first mistake with this movie was not reading the plot outline and just going by what the previews led me to believe. From the preview I figured it would be kind of an epic war time romance type movie… I was very wrong (in my defense that’s what they were marketing it as, I was just stupid enough to believe it).
The movie was not a love story. Yes, there was a subplot of romance I suppose, but overall it was not the main plot of the movie. It was more about what the 13-year-old girl did and the consequences of her actions. Which would have been OK I guess, but the movie was just so twisted, it kept jumping all around with no notice and the style just didn’t fit the story. I don’t really know how to explain it but it didn’t work.
On top of all this, the movie was really really boring. It was only 2 hours long and it easily felt like it was at least 45 minutes longer than it was.
I did not care about any of the characters, I didn’t care what was happening or what was going to happen. It just wasn’t entertaining. The movie was well made and all, but I’m looking for entertainment in a movie; I don’t care about all the technical crap.

This is the second movie I’ve seen that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture that did not deserve it at all. (The first one being Michael Clayton which was also not entertaining)
And yet again I am disgusted that American Gangster was completely over looked.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Atonement, Atonement movie review, James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Michael Clayton, American Gangster, Academy Awards, movie review

Well, I’ve been in a little bit of a Mark Wahlberg phase so I’ve been watching a lot of his movies lately. I actually wanted to see Shooter when it came out in theaters but none of my friends wanted to see it with me. But that’s OK, I prefer watching movies alone anyways so I’m sure I enjoyed it more this way.

Plot summary from All Movie Guide:

A top Marine sniper who previously abandoned the military after a routine mission gave way to tragedy is double-crossed by the government after reluctantly being pressured back into service. There was a time when Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) was the best trigger-man in the military, but after growing disillusioned with the system, he disappeared without a trace. After being located at his remote mountain retreat by high-profile government officials following an extensive search, Swagger is coerced back into service in order to stop a determined assassin from taking out the President of the United States. In the process of carrying out his mission, however, Swagger suddenly realizes that he has been betrayed when he becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Now wounded and desperate to reveal the culprits behind the conspiracy before it’s too late, Swagger sets into motion a revenge plan that will send shockwaves rippling to some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.

So, I know this movie got some pretty mixed reviews but I really liked it; it was right up my alley. I’m a bit of a conspiracy buff so I loved the thriller/ conspiracy angle of the movie. Plus, it’s Mark Wahlberg in a great role giving yet another great performance. It’s a little different than some of his usual roles, but it was still Marky Mark doing what he does best; kicking ass.
Danny Glover also starred in the movie but not as the lovable father figure you’re used to seeing. He was a bad guy! Danny Glover as a bad guy? I didn’t like it. I’m not saying he didn’t do a good job but I just don’t like seeing him as the bad guy; it doesn’t fit.

This screams ‘guy movie’ but I’ve been known to enjoy a good ‘guy movie’ with the rest of them. If you haven’t seen it, would definitely say, ignore any bad reviews and sit down and watch a very entertaining action/thriller movie. It’s definitely worth watching.
And ladies, if you don’t like explosions, violence and car chases, you can at least enjoy watching Mark Wahlberg for two hours… let’s be honest here.

My Rating:

Really Liked It

Review:The Departed
Review: We Own the Night

Shooter, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, conspiracy, movie review

I wanted to see this movie when it came out on DVD because I’m a big fan of Mark Wahlberg and it looked like the kind of movie I usually enjoy, but I ended up having mixed feeling about it.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Brooklyn, 1988. Crime is rife, especially drugs and drug violence. A Russian thug is building his heroin trade, while everyone laughs at the cops. Brothers have chosen different paths: Joe (Mark Wahlberg) has followed his father Bert (Robert Duvall) into New York’s Finest; he’s a rising star. Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix), who uses his mother’s maiden name, manages a club. Bobby too is on the rise: he has a new girlfriend (Eva Mendez) and a green-light to develop a Manhattan club. Joe and Bert ask him to help with intelligence gathering; he declines. Then, Joe raids Bobby’s club to arrest the Russian. From there, things spiral out of control: the Russian puts out a hit on Joe, personal losses mount, and Bobby’s loyalties face the test.

Can I just start out by saying that I’ve always hated Joaquin Phoenix for some reason; I’m not really sure what it is. But I hated him much less in this movie than I normally do (I’m not saying I liked him, I’m just saying I hated him less). Same with Eva Mendez actually, she wasn’t as annoying in this movie as she normally is. But on the opposite side, I have always loved Mark Wahlberg and in this movie it was no different. He did an awesome job and I just love him.

The movie wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be. I love this type of movie: crime, drug busts, cops, yadda, yadda, yadda, but for some reason when it was over I was just like, eh.
I thought the overall ideas of the movie were kind of a mix between The Departed and American Gangster but nowhere NEAR as good as those two movies which are two of my all-time favorites. That’s why I was a little surprised that I didn’t like it more… it had the potential to be a very good movie but for some reason it just missed the mark. It was actually kind of boring in parts which was surprising considering the subject material.
I would say that it’s worth checking out but don’t expect too much from it. Some of the performances, especially Mark Wahlberg’s, will make it worth the time.

My Rating:

It was OK

Review: American Gangster
Review: The Departed

We Own The Night, Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendez, The Departed, American Gangster, movie review

I went to see this movie because of all the Oscar hoopla and other hype it was receiving. As usual, it didn’t live up to the expectations that were set for it.

The fact that this movie was nominated for an Oscar for best picture and American Gangster wasn’t, really disgusts me.

Plot summary from imdb.com:

Michael Clayton is an in-house fixer at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen’s dirtiest work at the behest of the firm’s co-founder, Marty Bach. Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture, and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder rests on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class-action suit that Clayton’s firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach’s brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

OK, this movie was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, so clearly there’s something I just don’t see. This was one of the most boring movies I’ve seen in a long time. I understand what they were trying to achieve, but for me it just didn’t work. I didn’t care about any of the characters and I was completely uninterested in the story from the beginning. I wanted it to get better, I really did, but that just never happened. The last half hour or so was tolerable because it was the climax, but other than that I was bored to tears. There were so many things going on that had nothing to do with the story and a bunch of pointless characters. I don’t know, maybe I’m not enough of a movie snob to enjoy this movie but I like movies because they’re entertaining; and this one just wasn’t.
I went to see it with a friend and she actually liked it, which I was confused about, so I know other people have different opinions about this movie. But since this is my review I suppose I’m allowed to be honest; and honestly, I would say… don’t waste your time.

My Rating:

Didn’t Like it

Michael Clayton, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, American Gangster, Academy Awards, Oscars, movie review

I really didn’t know what to think of this movie when my friend told me to watch it but I was very pleasantly surprised!

Plot taken from imdb.com:

The passage from this world to the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold is through a breech in a wall by an English village. In the 1800s, a boy becomes a man when he ventures through the breech to prove his love for the village beauty by finding a fallen star. The star is no lump of rock, but a maiden, Yvaine (Claire Danes), and Tristan (Charlie Cox), the youth, is not the only one searching for her: three witches, led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), want her heart to make them young. The sons of the dead king of Stormhold want her because she possesses a ruby that will give one of them title to the throne. Assisting Tristan are his mother, the victim of a spell, and a pirate of the skies (Robert DeNiro).

That’s actually kind of a lame plot description but there’s so much going on in the movie that it’s hard to explain in one tiny blurb. I have to say though, I think this movie is a must see. Which really surprised me because it was so poorly publicized and marketed that I had no idea what it was about and hadn’t heard of anyone even seeing it at the theater let alone liking it.

Whoever was in charge of that should be ashamed because this was actually an awesome movie! It reminded me a lot of kind of a Princess Bride kind of movie. Very fantastical and intriguing; it was a fairy tale for adults. Kids would actually really like it too but unfortunately there are some very scary scenes and a lot of other things that definitely make it inappropriate for young kids.

It had such an interesting plot, great characters, great actors, fun to watch, I really can’t say anything more than you should definitely check this movie out. I’ve always been a fan of Claire Danes so I loved her in the movie. And the main guy, Charlie Cox was just adorable. Robert DeNiro also has a small part in it and he is absolutely hilarious!
If you liked The Princess Bride, Willow, or even Enchanted, I would bet you’ll probably love this one.
I would give it a higher rating but I think this is one of those movies that you have to watch over and over again so considering I only saw it once; it’s not bad.

My Rating:

Really Liked it

Review: Enchanted

Stardust, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, movie review, The Princess Bride, Willow, Enchanted

I had never even heard of this movie before, but my friend rented it and let me borrow it; otherwise I would have never noticed it.

Charlie (Michael Douglas) was just released from the mental institution and reunited with his 15 year old daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who’s been living on her own since he went in the hospital. During his stay, he realized from an old diary he was reading that a buried treasure may still be buried in their home town. His daughter went along with it to appease his delusions at first, but slowing started paying attention to his rants and creating a father-daughter bond that had been missing all her life.

This is a very quirky, fun comedy that was screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Michael Douglas’ character is hilarious and his performance is really great; very different from any character he would usually play. Evan Rachel Wood has always kind of annoyed me despite the fact that I loved Across the Universe, which she also starred in. She is OK in this movie but she seems to always be playing an angst ridden teenager… even in real life. I would say this movie is worth watching but it can be a little contrived and boring at times. The last half hour or so made up for all that and it ended up being an enjoyable movie. Not my favorite, probably wouldn’t watch it again, but glad I came across it.

My Rating:

It was OK

Review: Evan Rachel Wood in Across the Universe

King of California, movie review, Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Across the Universe

After watching American Gangster I realized that I hadn’t seen The Departed in a long time. When The Departed first came out I was obsessed with it. I think I honestly watched it like 7 times in a very short period of time so I had to give it up for a while. Now, I finally just watched it again for the first time in over a year, and I still love it just as much as the first time I saw it.

Short plot outline from imdb.com:

Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy’s identities.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. The acting in this movie was just so awesome and there were so many great actors. Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, they all gave amazing performances as well as the rest of the cast. I have to say though, my favorite character is definitely Billy Costigan; I loved the way Leonardo DiCaprio played him. He had so much depth and was such a vulnerable character.

I remember watching the Academy Awards for 2006 and I had to make sure that The Departed won for Best Picture because it was just such and amazing movie and it deserved to win, for sure. And I was also very happy that Martin Scorsese finally got an Oscar for Best Director. I was a little surprised though that there weren’t more nominations for the actors (Only Mark Wahlberg was nominated for Best Supporting Actor). The Departed had everything you could ever want in a movie. Even though it was over 2 and a half hours long, it never once dragged for felt like it was too long.
Great cast, great acting, great story. Doesn’t get any better than this.

Review: American Gangster
Review: Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond

My Rating:

Absolutely Loved It

The Departed, movie review, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Academy Awards, Best Picture, American Gangster

Just like the rest of the world, I was very shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Heath Ledger. I was always a fan of his and have been following his career since I saw him in 10 Things I Hate About You. He really was a great actor and I was, and still am, so looking forward to seeing his role as the Joker in the new Batman movie The Dark Knight.
After hearing so much about him on the news lately, the movie I heard about most was Brokeback Mountain. I know when it came out there was so much hype around it and I was so sick of hearing about it at the time that I never ended up watching it. So after it came up again with his death, I thought I would finally rent it. I wish I had a better review to write up on it but here it is.

Plot Synopsis by All Movie Guide:

‘Brokeback Mountain’ stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as young cowboys named Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar. Each of them is hired to work cattle on the title location and they soon bond very closely. Their platonic relationship explodes into a physical one, but eventually the two are separated when their job comes to an end. Although the two follow different life paths, one becoming a father of two and the other becoming a business success, they have a reunion years later. Each is affected profoundly by the rekindling of their old feelings for each other. Those feelings lead each to consider what continuing their hidden relationship would cost them.

I was expecting great things from this movie because of all the hype and nominations it received but I was sorely disappointed. I found the movie very drawn out and boring throughout most of it. I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and I didn’t like the storyline. I didn’t see any chemistry between the two main characters and I found myself basically not caring throughout the entire movie.
I will say that Heath Ledger did give a great performance and I was very impressed with what he brought to the role. And although I am also a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, I did not like his performance in this movie. I thought he was very unbelievable.

This is the exact reason why I hate watching movies that everyone is talking about. Because it rarely lives up to the hype.

My Rating:

Really Didn’t Like it

Review: 3:10 to Yuma

Brokeback Mountain, Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Batman, The Dark Knight, 10 Things I Hate About You

Lately I’ve been going through a little bit of a Grey’s Anatomy obsession. After watching the first season I immediately had to start renting the second. After all they left it off with a huge cliffhanger and I just had to know what was going to happen.

The second season starts off with Dr. Shepard’s (or McDreamy…whichever you prefer) wife coming into the picture which results in a dramatic storyline between McDreamy, his wife, and Meredith. Will he decide to stay with his wife or end his marriage to be with Meredith? And more dramatic story lines arise between Meredith and George, Alex and Izzie, Dr. Burke and Christina…need I go on? The characters are all still the same with a few new faces. And after lots of hook ups, break ups and drama the season ends in yet another huge cliffhanger.

I absolutely loved the second season of Grey’s Anatomy. I was already hooked after the first season but now I’m in love. The first season was more of an introductory season where we get a feel for the characters, the plot and the story lines. Now, in the second season, they really get into more interesting subplots and much more exciting episodes. You can tell within the first few episodes that the season is going to be quite a ride.

I still absolutely love George. He is just so adorable. But all the characters are growing on me even more, even the ones I wasn’t too thrilled with in the first season. I can’t wait to start watching season three and see what kind of drama will arise. You’ve gotta love this show. It’s so addicting you just can’t stop watching it.

The 6 disc DVD set contains all 27 uncut episodes as well as some extra features. The extras were better than they were on the season one set, but they could still improve. I’d love to see more behind the scenes type things featuring more of the cast.

My Rating:

Absolutely Loved it

Review: Grey’s Anatomy: Season One

Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Isaiah Washington, Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers, Kate Walsh

Due to the craziness of Christmastime I haven’t been watching as many movies as I usually do which makes doing reviews more difficult. However, I did rent the first season of Grey’s Anatomy at Blockbuster last week. I always heard people talking about this show but for some reason I never caught it on TV until recently, but since I didn’t know what was going on I decided to rent the previous seasons and catch up with the rest of the world.

The show is based on Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and four other surgical interns: Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Isobel “Izzie” Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers). Meredith and the others struggle with the pressures of their new jobs made more difficult perhaps by the resident they were assigned to, Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) nicknamed “The Nazi”. When Meredith had a one night stand with a handsome man in a bar, she had no idea that man would turn out to be their boss, Dr. Shepard (Patrick Dempsey), an attending at Seattle Grace Hospital. Another attending as the hospital, Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) faces a similar secret relationship. The drastic changes in the lives of the new interns force them all to deal with new issues concerning family, co-workers, and forbidden relationships.

This DVD contains 9 episodes, some unaired scenes, behind the scenes footage and a few other extras. Short but sweet, since it’s only the first season.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this show since I was so unfamiliar with it and the actors were virtually unknown before the show began, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I’ve always been a fan of hospital dramas for some reason (House is one of my favorite shows) so I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The reason why this show is so entertaining is not just the interesting patients and incidences that occur in the hospital, but more the characters. The storyline of the show is based mostly on character development, which works well because of such a wonderful cast. How could anyone not love Patrick Dempsey’s character “McDreamy”? But it turns out my favorite character on the show is George (played by T.R. Knight). His nervous, sweet, innocent ways are so endearing which makes his character so adorable! They all do a great job with the diverse roles of the different characters and the stories are very addicting. The season ends with quite the cliffhanger so I’ll have to go rent season two to find out what happens. I know everyone and their mom has been addicted to this show since the beginning but…better late than never I guess.

My Rating:

Really Liked it

Review: Patrick Dempsey in Enchanted

Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey, McDreamy, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, T.R. Knight, Katherine Heigl, Isaiah Washington, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson, DVD Review, Enchanted, House

Rescue Dawn came out on DVD this past week and it is an amazing movie. Definitely the best rental you could’ve picked up this week. I actually went to see it at the theater when it came out and I really liked it.
Christian Bale is one of my all time favorite actors and he is amazing in this movie.

Rescue Dawn is based on the true story of Deiter Dengler (Christian Bale), a German-American fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. His plane was shot down during his first bomb run and he was captured and put in a POW camp. During his imprisonment, he retains his upbeat attitude and creates a plan for him and the other prisoners to escape.

Steve Zahn plays one of the prisoners and also did an amazing job. The acting in the film was really incredible. The most amazing thing about the movie is that it is based on a true story. When you see how Dieter reacts to the circumstances he finds himself in it is really unbelievable that not only he could survive, but also keep his positive attitude and encourage the other prisoners.

Christian Bale’s performance is incredible as usual. In this film he had to lose a lot of weight throughout the filming to show his diminishing condition. This isn’t the first time he has changed his appearance drastically for a movie. He lost over 60 pounds to prepare for The Machinist and immediately after gained 100 pounds in order to play Batman in Batman Begins. His dedication to his work shows in all of his amazing performances; Rescue Dawn is no different.
I would definitely recommend Rescue Dawn, it is an extremely uplifting, incredible story and the acting is equally as impressive.

My Rating:

Really Liked it

Review: Blood Diamond

Rescue Dawn, movie review, Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Vietnam War